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Nuggets-Warriors could be high-scoring affair

Curry leads way for Golden St.

By Benjamin HochmanThe Denver Post

Posted:
04/18/2013 10:24:51 PM MDT

Updated:
04/18/2013 10:49:22 PM MDT

DENVER -- His jumper is cruel as much as it's cool, a vicious quick flick, something out of, say, 1986 -- a Mike Tyson punchout, a Jimmy Chitwood dagger in "Hoosiers," the Mets' Ray Knight stomping on home plate like he was stomping on a heart.

The Warriors' Stephen Curry unleashed his jump shot with fury, and did so at a record clip this season. He made 272 3-pointers, most ever in an NBA season, while becoming just the second player ever to make 200 or more 3s while shooting 45 percent or better from beyond the arc.

The No. 6 seeded Warriors are a fascinating matchup for the No. 3 Nuggets, because Golden State leads the NBA in 3-point shooting and pushes the basketball with a pace similar to Lawson and the Nuggets. And, the Nuggets have had an issue guarding the 3-point line.

The 6-foot-3 Curry averaged 22.3 points per game, 4.0 rebounds and 6.9 assists, making him one of just four players with 22-4-6 or better numbers -- LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Kobe Bryant are the others. Lawson said the Nuggets must smother Curry in one-on-one play and force him to drive. It's weird to say that a player is less effective closer to the basket, but, as Lawson explained, "(Curry's) last option is to drive.

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Nuggets coach George Karl said Lawson will start out defending Curry in Saturday's Game 1, though shooting guard Andre Iguodala could spend time on him, too.

Curry might be the best player in the series, but the Nuggets are still favored, for numerous reasons.

Denver lost just three times at home during the regular season, and has homecourt advantage. Lawson is healthy, having recovered from a heel injury, and has ascended as a dangerous player with his fearless play. Denver is much deeper, with starting level talent on the bench. And, the Nuggets went 3-1 against Golden State this past season and in the game they lost, Iguodala seemingly hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer for the win, but released it just tenths of a second too late.

"This series, can you say 'ABA?' Because I think it might be a throwback to the ol' 130-128 games," ESPN analyst and former NBA coach Flip Saunders saidThursday by phone. "This series lines up to maybe be one of the most exciting series. Denver is pretty much unbeatable at home, and anybody who's ever played Golden State knows how their fans are off-the-chart.

"Whichever one of the guards can exert their will in how they want to play will have a huge say in who can win those games."

Curry is often the prime ballhandler running Golden State's offense, similar to Lawson, but when reserve Jarrett Jack plays the point, that frees up Curry and shooting guard Klay Thompson to roam and run off picks. Karl said that's arguably the Warriors' best lineup.

Thompson, the son of former NBA standout Mychal Thompson, averaged 16.6 points per game while making 211 3-pointers, third-most in the NBA. Nuggets' opponents shot 36.3 percent from 3 this season. Only 10 teams' opponents shot better.

But Thompson is second-fiddle to the fiery firing Curry. Asked what makes Curry so good, Karl suggested: "It might be genetics. His dad (Dell) was a great shooter, and (Stephen) is probably a better shooter.

"His quick release, he gets his feet set, he has great balance and it seems like he shoots the ball with his legs very well. His release is perfect. And he runs the pick-and-roll with Lee well."

Lee is David Lee, the stat-sheet stuffing power forward. The Nuggets have had trouble at times with the double-double machine, and if Kenneth Faried (ankle) can't go in Game 1, players such as Wilson Chandler and even former Warrior Anthony Randolph must ascend in the low-post and on the boards.

While the Nuggets look score in the paint, the Warriors look to score from 3.

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